Water Tourist Vanished in Florida — His Kayak Found in Tree Branches, Body in Storm Drain

When 36-year-old Ricardo Moreno pushed his bright yellow kayak into a Florida canal on May 27, 2021, he expected nothing more than an afternoon paddle. Nine days later, his body was discovered inside a storm drain — strangled, robbed, and discarded like refuse. The bizarre path from serene waterways to grim drainage tunnels exposed not just the brutality of his killers but also systemic gaps in how waterway crimes are detected in the Sunshine State.

From a Sunny Afternoon to a Deadly Storm

Moreno, a resident of Lee County, was an experienced kayaker. On that Thursday afternoon, he texted his sister at 2:30 p.m. to confirm his launch. By 4:00 p.m., the National Weather Service issued storm warnings — high winds, torrential rain, lightning. Kayakers know these conditions can be fatal, but Ricardo had weathered similar squalls before. His family expected him home by 6:00 p.m. When he didn’t return, and his phone fell silent, unease quickly escalated into alarm.

By 9:00 p.m., after the storm subsided, relatives reported him missing. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office launched a full-scale search involving patrol boats, helicopters, and divers. But no trace of Moreno or his kayak surfaced that night.

A Kayak in the Trees

Two days later, hope briefly flickered. Search teams spotted Moreno’s kayak lodged four feet above the waterline in the fork of a storm-felled tree. It was an eerie sight: the vessel appeared almost “parked” mid-air, deposited there when floodwaters peaked. Yet the kayak was empty. No paddle, no phone, no wallet. Investigators now faced disturbing questions: if Moreno had drowned, why wasn’t his body nearby?

For days, sonar sweeps, shoreline patrols, and divers yielded nothing. Typically, drowning victims resurface within 72 hours. Moreno’s vanishing act didn’t fit. Detectives began to suspect foul play.

The Drainage Discovery

On June 3, a week after his disappearance, drainage workers investigating a foul odor in a residential storm pipe made a chilling discovery. Wedged inside a 36-inch concrete tube lay a human body. Dental records confirmed the worst: Ricardo Moreno had not drowned — he had been strangled.

Forensic evidence was clear. His hyoid bone was fractured, bruising around the neck consistent with manual strangulation. No water in the lungs, no algae in the bloodstream. Ricardo had been murdered before entering the water system.

The storm had not killed him; it had hidden his killers’ tracks.

A Case of Robbery Turned Murder

Investigators faced a new challenge: who had targeted a solitary kayaker on a random Thursday afternoon? Moreno had no enemies, debts, or criminal ties. Then came the break. Multiple residents near a canal bridge reported seeing a small motorboat towing a bright yellow kayak during the storm. A traffic camera confirmed it: at 7:45 p.m., the kayak — empty — trailed behind two men in a boat.

Detectives released the blurry images. Within 72 hours, a tip from a marina worker identified the vessel as belonging to Robert Diaz, 47, often seen with his companion, 52-year-old Michael Finch.

The Evidence Piles Up

Search warrants quickly followed. At Diaz’s property, police found rope fibers matching those on Moreno’s kayak. At Finch’s house, they uncovered Moreno’s phone hidden in a dresser drawer. Surveillance, witness testimony, and forensic evidence tied both men to the crime.

When interrogated, Diaz and Finch denied involvement — until investigators confronted them with the damning bridge footage. Facing overwhelming proof, Finch confessed.

According to his statement, the pair set out that evening looking for someone to rob. Moreno, alone in his kayak, became the target. When he resisted and cried for help, panic turned to violence. Diaz strangled him while Finch restrained him. They dumped his body into a storm drain, believing floodwaters would carry it away forever. The kayak, too buoyant to sink, was wedged into storm-felled branches to remain hidden.

Trial and Sentencing

The confession, corroborated by evidence, left no room for doubt. Both Diaz and Finch were convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. The court handed down Florida’s harshest penalty: life imprisonment without parole.

For Ricardo’s family, the verdict closed a chapter but not the wound. They had endured a week of agonizing uncertainty, only to learn their loved one had been senselessly executed for a cell phone and a wallet.

Lessons from the Case

The “Storm Drain Murder,” as it became known in Florida media, remains a case study in how criminals exploit natural disasters to mask their crimes. Analysts point to three critical lessons:

Waterways Are Vulnerable Spaces: Unlike roads with cameras and patrols, canals provide cover for opportunistic criminals. Recreational paddlers may assume safety, but isolation makes them vulnerable.
Storms Aid Criminal Concealment: Diaz and Finch gambled on chaos. Heavy rain diluted forensic traces, high water levels concealed evidence, and the storm drain became a convenient disposal site. Their miscalculation — the body getting stuck — cracked the case open.
Community Reports Are Crucial: Without eyewitnesses and a bridge camera, the crime might never have been solved. Public vigilance and surveillance infrastructure bridged the gap law enforcement couldn’t.

A Broader Conversation

Ricardo Moreno’s death ignited debate in Florida about safety for solo water recreation. Should kayakers be required to carry GPS trackers? Should storm drain systems have better security to prevent illegal dumping? Lawmakers briefly floated ideas, but no sweeping reforms followed.

On forums and local media, the case still draws discussion. Some argue Moreno was tragically unlucky, a victim of two desperate men. Others see it as emblematic of larger issues: under-policed waterways, gaps in storm infrastructure, and the unpredictability of crime in natural settings.

What is undeniable is the haunting image at the center of the case: a kayak, bright yellow, lodged in tree branches above storm-swollen waters — a silent marker of an innocent man’s last journey, and a community’s reminder that even Florida’s sunniest days can turn dark in an instant.